Delta Mathematics: NCEA Level 3 (3e)

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Description

This brand-new and completely revised third edition of Delta Mathematics is closely aligned with recent developments in New Zealand mathematics education. The content has been carefully revised in line with best teaching practice, and expanded to respond to changes in the curriculum and assessment. Delta Mathematics covers all eight of the NCEA Level 3 Mathematics Achievement Standards.

Delta Mathematics includes groundbreaking and balanced coverage of critical-path analysis, a new area in secondary mathematics, and incorporates:

critical-path method (earliest and latest start and finish times)

the backflow algorithm

scheduling, with both unlimited and limited processors

allocation of tasks, with priority lists based on critical times and decreasing times.

All the topics in Delta Mathematics are accompanied by a large number of well-balanced questions, graded in difficulty, to reinforce students’ understanding and build solid foundations for future learning. Many investigations, applications, spreadsheet activities and puzzles help to make the underlying mathematics more interesting and relevant. Full answers are provided.

Delta Mathematics is part of a comprehensive package that comprises:

textbook

workbook

online resources

teaching resource (electronic)

eText option.

Table of contents

The NCEA Level 3 Mathematics and Statistics Achievement Standards for Year 13
The Delta package
About the authors
Foreword to students and teachers
Investigations
Puzzles

The section on Achievement Standard 3.4 provides ground-breaking and balanced coverage of a new area in secondary mathematics – critical-path analysis. After an introduction (Chapter 8) that adds to the Year 12 treatment of networks (with Hamiltonian paths, maximum flow, and more on spanning trees, including Steiner points), there are two chapters (9 and 10) devoted to critical-path analysis:

the concept of critical paths (earliest and latest start and finish times)

the backflow algorithm for determining the critical path and earliest finish time for a project

scheduling

priority lists based on both decreasing times and critical times

float time for tasks and idle time for processors

allocating tasks to a limited number of processors

scheduling independent tasks.

The parts of Year 13 Mathematics that have evolved from the current NCEA Level 3 Mathematics Achievement Standards have been extensively reviewed. The content has been carefully revised in line with best teaching practice, and expanded to respond to changes in then curriculum and assessment.

The textbook takes into account the difference between the curriculum and current assessment coverage. The appendices at the end of the textbook provide additional material that is in the curriculum.

There are several places where teachers may decide to introduce students to some prerequisite mathematics before concentrating on a strictly assessment-based programme, including the following:

Author biography

David Barton needs no introduction to a generation of New Zealand mathematics students and teachers. He has written a full six-book, award-winning series for secondary-school mathematics, and his material has also been published in Australia, South Africa, Fiji and Abu Dhabi. David Barton was educated at Wellington College and has taught at Wellington College and Rangitoto College in Auckland.

Anna Cox is the Head of Mathematics at St Hilda’s College in Dunedin and, before that, was HOD of Mathematics and Physics at King’s High School. She is the co-author of Beginning Physics and Continuing Physics, both published by Pearson. An enthusiastic and expert teacher, Anna brings fresh new ideas to the writing team.